Pastor Sean

Portraits of Jesus, Day 1

2011-07-25T07:55:00.000-05:00

Portraits of Jesus

Day One
“Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 1:4,5)

Jesus the faithful witness. A witness is someone willing to die for the truth. Jesus is faithful because he actually died because of the truth. The truth is: God loves people. The truth is: God spared nothing to save people from themselves. The truth is: God, the Son, gave his own life on earth to save people.

Jesus the firstborn from the dead. When people die, they stay dead. At least that is the way it has always been until Jesus rose from the dead. Because of Jesus, the day will come when the dead in Christ will rise. Jesus rose from the dead first. His body glorified into magnificence. He rose first. Then, we whose lives are in Him will follow.

Jesus the ruler of the kings of the earth. Jesus said that his kingdom is not of this world. It isn’t. But, the day will come when His kingdom will physically come to this world. At that time, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus himself will sit as king over all the nations on the earth.

5 Months Adrift

2011-04-19T07:06:00.000-05:00

Genesis 7 and 8

I am contemplating what it would be like to spend five months on a boat with my immediate family and a whole lot of livestock. It could not have been a pleasant experience. First, because it would smell really bad. Second, because it would be noisy. Third, because there would be very little to do except clean the boat and wait.

The act of clearing the earth of people didn’t take very long. People were gone in a few days. But, the process of cleansing the earth took longer.

A repentant life works on the same principle. Leaving a life of sin is a simple thing. Realizing your behavior needs to change and then you stop doing whatever was damaging to your relationship with God. Cleansing yourself of the desire to sin takes longer. It is a process that requires patience and dependence on God.

It often feels like you are in a prison. On occasion I am called upon to help someone who has been caught in the trap of chemical addiction. I offer them the opportunity to go to Teen Challenge, a nine-month to a year program for addiction deliverance. Most of the time, the addicted person refuses the offer because they don’t want to spend that much time separated from their world. The ones who do accept find deliverance from their dependence on drugs. Those who choose a short term treatment program nearly always remain trapped in their dependencies.

The people who entered the ark weren’t the same when they disembarked from it. They spent five months separated from the world they had known. When they left the ark, that world was gone. They had learned to depend upon God for their survival. They had learned to form deep personal bonds with each other. They had a new perspective on what is important. They had a mission to accomplish when they left the boat.

That is what happens to us when we allow God to do a complete work on our lives. Separation from our comforts and dependencies feels like prison, but it leads to freedom.

The Flood

2011-04-15T09:50:00.000-05:00

Genesis 7

The rain started falling. A few drops at first, then over the next several hours increased in intensity until the sound of the rain falling drowned out the sounds of the bleating lambs and the chirping birds…

Before the rain there had been other deafening sounds in the realm of the spirit. As the human population increased so also did self-indulgent behavior. Once, the sound of footfalls could be heard as God walked through the garden with Adam in the cool of the day. Then, away from the garden, the sounds of debauchery could be heard.

God’s ears filled with the sickening sound of people giving themselves over to perverse pleasure. But, in the midst of it, God could still make out the sounds coming from a single righteous man. Noah didn’t sound like a man trying to intensify pleasure. He was a man who worshipped God.

It only takes a few days of steady hard rain to create a flood. A small creek only a few feet wide and a couple inches deep ran behind my West Virginia home. When the remnant of a hurricane passed through, it caused that little creek to jump out of the tall banks that contained it. The creek became a river over six feet deep and several yards wide. That creek emptied into a larger creek that had become a mighty river. That river emptied into the Kanawha River which also jumped its banks. A few days of rain fell and the city of Parkersburg was under water.

The rain fell on Noah’s world for a few weeks. I imagine that the human race was gone after only a couple weeks, though. Once the ground saturated, the floods come quickly and without warning. People were in their houses wondering when the rain would stop. The rain was loud enough to drown out even their thoughts. Then, the water coursed through the street. It flowed under their doors and through their windows. The debauchery stopped as the participants jumped on chairs and tables to avoid the quickly rising water.

The sounds of carousing that had filled God’s ears for so many years stopped. For what could have been only a few minutes, those sounds were replaced by the screams and then the moans of the dying. The thundering rains kept Noah from hearing what God heard. But, God can hear the prayers of one righteous man through the deafening sounds of partying. He also hears the moaning of the dying through the murderous storm.

God feels their pain. The death of thousands of people make permanent the eternal loss of their souls. This wasn’t God’s plan. It was their choice. God’s love and his grace allowed them to make the choice to reject him.

The dying sounds of the condemned stopped and the rain kept falling. Then, the only thing God heard was rain and Noah. When the rain stopped, the spiritual storm stopped, too. There was peace.

It took a cleansing flood to restore peace to the earth. In a sense, it still does.

How bad was it?

2011-04-13T09:19:00.000-05:00

Genesis 6

Just how bad did it get that God would put an end to the very thing in which he found unspeakable joy?

Things got so bad with people that he regretted having created humans. So bad that he decided to limit human life to 120 years. So bad that he decided to wipe out the species except for one family.

That must have torn his heart apart. People were so detached from Him that they spent their lives living only for their own pleasures. Self-indulgence kept people from living in right relationship with God so much that there was no point in allowing them to live long. So, God gave each person enough time on earth to decide whether to choose life with God, or not.

But first, God had to wipe the slate clean. The people on earth had already made their decision, they would be self-indulgent. There was going to be no repentance for them. So, he ended their lives.

God isn’t unjust. There was one person who hadn’t given in to evil. Noah had a right relationship with God. Therefore, God decided to spare him and repopulate the earth with him and his family.

In the midst of such disappointment God remained faithful to Noah. In the midst of great sadness, God remained longsuffering in order for the progression of humanity to come to complete manifestation. In the midst of corruption, God made merciful changes so that people wouldn’t spend a millennium trapped in sin.

And, in spite of the near loss of humanity, God found a way to begin anew.

Living a Very Long Time

2011-04-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

Genesis 5

I am fascinated by the longevity of those who lived up until the days of Noah. I think this gives me a glimpse of what the Millenium will be like. At that time, when Jesus sets up an earthly political rule, people will also live a very long time.

I see an abundance of God’s grace in this chapter. First, although Adam was destined to die, it didn’t happen right away. Adam lived just shy of 1,000 years. Seeing such longevity, I wonder about the relationship between living righteously apart from the law has with living long and healthy.

Second, God allowed people to share in the process of creating life. Also, they were healthy enough to have children even though some were older than 500.

I want to live a long productive life. I won’t make it to 900, of course. But, to be productive for a long time is my goal. My theory is that if I live righteously by faith in Jesus Christ apart from the twin bondages of the law and indulgence, I should be just fine.

Mastering Shame...or not

2011-04-11T12:30:00.001-05:00

Genesis 4

“You must master it.” That was God’s warning to Cain as the son of Adam struggled against his feelings of hatred for his brother Abel.

Imagine what Cain was experiencing in his spirit. He had failed to please God with his sacrifice. He was shamed in the presence of his brother. Intense feelings crowded out rational thought.

Shame is a powerful emotion. It comes to being when you discover that you aren’t as good as you thought. Shame violates the protective wall that tries to control how others perceive you.

So, what do you do when you feel ashamed before others?

You can run from the sight of those who know of your failings. You can also eliminate them from your presence. The temptation is to believe that if there is no one to see your failure then there will be no shame to experience.
Either way is wrong.

What was God’s advice to Cain? Master the temptation.

How? Go into hiding? Eliminate the source of shame? Both are wrong.

That only left one option. Cain could have offered another sacrifice. He could have followed God’s instruction for the sacrifice and allowed God to approve of the make-good. God said that was all that was necessary.

Escaping shame is a matter of admitting a wrong and correcting it. If you don’t mind being wrong, you won’t experience shame.

Cain, however, wasn’t interesting in being good. He wanted to appear good. Or, at least better than Abel.

Shame is a powerful emotion. Humility is the only way out. Humility prevents humiliation.

Innocence Lost

2011-04-08T10:10:00.000-05:00

Genesis 3
In just a few minutes, the innocence died. Unending life in fellowship with an adoring God was gone. Perfectly harmonious companionship was gone. Ownership of the earth was gone. Relationship without shame was gone.

It started with deception. God’s command to the people was to subdue the earth. It makes sense that wild things don’t want to be tamed. That’s why it also makes sense that one shouldn’t be taking advice from the very thing that doesn’t wish to be subdued.

The serpent was very crafty. Eve disobeyed the one command she was given. Adam joined her in it.

Then the innocence died.

The results of rebelling against God were devastating. Immediately, they both experienced shame.

Shame causes people to hide. They became aware of their faults and hid from God in order to hide them. In running from Him, they disconnected themselves from Him. Without Him, they were destined to die.

Shame leads people to look for someone to blame. Adam blamed Eve and God, Eve blamed the serpent. Shame says, “don’t look at my failure, look at someone else’s.”

Rebellion also resulted in hardship. The earth would no longer cooperate with Adam. Eve would feel severe pain with the joy of birth. Without God, life is very hard.

Barbara and I were talking about the loss of innocence. I wondered if or how we could get it back. She doubted it because we know too much about good and evil, the thing that the forbidden fruit promised. Of course, she is right. But in a sense, shouldn’t salvation begin a process back toward innocence? It is something I think about, and dream about. One day, there will be a new earth and things will be the way they were before the fall.

A Glimpse of Innocense

2011-04-06T08:04:00.001-05:00

I wonder what a life of innocence would be like. I sometimes get frustrated that so much of life involves suspicion and distrust. I was reading Genesis chapter 2, and began to let myself imagine what the innocent life would be like.

God found joy in creating man. God desired fellowship and so created Adam in order to have it. For God to have true fellowship, he gave Adam three wonderful gifts: Freedom, Ownership, and Companionship.

God gave Adam freedom to choose. First, he gave him the choice to accept God or to reject him when he put in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God wanted Adam to love him and be loved by him. However, Adam had the choice to not love God. Of course, to reject God means to no longer live. But Adam had the choice. Second, God gave Adam permission to eat anything he wanted. He also gave him choice to do what he needed to in caring for the garden.

God gave Adam ownership of creation. God took on the servant’s role and brought Adam the animals to let him name them. God gave him authority to subdue the creatures of the earth and to rule over them. The earth was Adam’s to have and to manage. God would help him, or course. But, the earth belonged to Adam.

God gave Adam companionship. After it was clear to Adam that the creatures weren’t suitable as helpers, God gave him a companion with whom to share life. The companion was someone like him. The companion was part of him. The companion would allow him to reproduce. It allowed Adam to share with God the experience of giving life.

God’s desired to enjoy an eternity with Adam and those who came from him. It was a never ending life of freedom, creation, and love. Who wouldn’t want that?

I don’t live in a world of innocence. But, since following Jesus, I have been given freedom once again to live. I have the mandate to subdue an untame world. I have the ability to experience loving companionship. Simply, salvation begins the process of restoring what was lost when the innocence was gone.

Bond of Creativity

2011-04-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.
Genesis 1:28

One of my great joys is to teach someone something that gives me great joy. Coaching baseball, for instance, gives me the opportunity to share my love of the game with boys. My blessing to them is to say, “ok, go out there and play the game. Play hard. Win the game.” Coaching creates a bond between myself and the players that endures over the years.

I can feel similar passion in God’s voice as he blesses Adam and Eve. He created them because he wanted to share His joy with them. God feels joy when he creates. He feels the same joy when those he created experience creativity. The experience creates a relational bond between God and those he created.

God must have swelled with pride when he told the people he created to increase in number and to rule the earth. God had the opportunity to share His life.
God blessed them with the opportunity to share His life. His blessing was the opportunity to do three things: 1) Increase in number; 2) Subdue the earth; and 3) Rule over the earth.

Of course, things changed when Adam and Eve cheated God’s plan for them. However, God’s plan is to redeem people. That work also connects us to God.
There is a new blessing that He gives those who come to Him: 1) Increase the number of people who are redeemed; 2) subdue the darkness and set people free; 3) take authority over the spiritual realm.

That blessing takes a lot of work to enjoy. But, there is tremendous joy for God and for His people in pursuing that blessing. And, along with that joy, it creates a friendship between God and those He created.

Why Single Christians Should Date

2011-03-24T11:27:00.001-05:00

Why Should Single Christians Date?

I have discovered that most people know what Christians are not supposed to do when it comes to dating but don’t know how Christians are supposed to date or if they should at all. Advice tends to go along the lines of, “Be careful!” and “Listen to those who have made mistakes.” Both are good advice. However, I want the single members of my congregation to have a healthy view of dating and an idea of how to safely and enjoyably go about discovering who their spouse may be.

First, let me define what I mean by dating. A date involves two single people of opposite sexes getting together to build a friendship. There are three things to remember when it comes to dating.

1. Dating does not mean emotional or any other kind of obligation. In other words, because the two of you went out on a date does not mean that you have to do it again. And
2. Dating absolutely does not mean that the two of you are committed to seeing only each other. I will argue in another essay why it is unwise for single believers to commit themselves to exclusive relationships outside of the commitment to marry.
3. Dating doesn’t have to be a search for a mate. It can be an end in itself.
As much as the thought of my sons entering the murky world of love, dating, and romance, I must admit that there are good reasons for dating. In fact, I have many fond memories of my dating years. Here are five good reasons why single Christians should embrace dating.

1. Dating is fun.

But only if you remember that dating isn’t the same as romancing. A date is simply a single man and single woman making an appointment to do something fun together. The difference between a date and simply getting together to do something fun is that a date leaves open the possibility of a greater relationship commitment.

Going to a movie, finding a new restaurant, rock climbing, going to a youth group activity or anything else that might be fun make for great dates. When the activity ends and you enjoyed yourself, it was worth having the experience with the other person.

Remember, dating doesn’t obligate you or your date to another date. Also, it doesn’t obligate either of you to only date each other. Dating is supposed to be fun. Later, if the relationship shows promise of greater commitment, then you can discuss relationship expectations. It may be a good idea at the beginning of a dating relationship to make it clear that you aren’t expecting or giving a commitment to “go steady”.

2. Dating leads to finding a spouse.

You can put this down under the heading, “duh”. But, you might be amazed at the number of people who are praying for God to give them a mate, but don’t leave the house to find one. I don’t know of anyone who set out to find someone who wasn’t fun to be around. So, if you don’t want to have fun with a person of the opposite sex, you aren’t likely to find your mate. Therefore, the first step in finding a husband or wife is to get out of the house and have fun with people!

3. Dating causes you to discover things about yourself and others.

I learned a lot about myself during my dating years. Each friend I went out with was a unique person with unique perspectives on life. (notice that I regard them as friends and note ex-girlfriends!) I cringe whenever I hear someone describe what women or men are like based on their limited experiences with family members and limited relationships with members of the opposite sex. The more people you meet, the more you will discover the unique qualities that God gives each person. And, you will find that men and women to have differences, but not as many as you might think.

Dating also leads to self-discovery, too. Let’s face it, being with someone of the opposite sex feels good in ways that your same-sex friends don’t. Dating allows you to discover your weaknesses as well as your strengths when it comes to temptation. Some people argue that Christians shouldn’t date because of the risks of falling into sin. There is risk in discovering that you have lusts you didn’t realize you had. But then, how else would you find out?

4. Dating allows you to experience building healthy, positive experiences with members of the opposite sex.

Don’t forget the definition of dating: two unmarried friends of the opposite sex get together to have fun with the possibility that their friendship could become a marriage. Friends date and therefore work together to build a relationship of trust and mutual respect around an activity that the dating pair enjoys doing. The dating experience allows those who have had previous negative experiences with the opposite sex to develop healthy relationships with others and in so doing heal the memories of past experiences.

5. Dating allows you to experience ending unhealthy relationships with the opposite sex.

You may discover that the person you are dating isn’t fun to be around or there is something about the other person you aren’t comfortable with. Because dating isn’t an exclusive relationship, you simply can say, “I don’t want to do this anymore.” If the relationship does have a commitment to it, then you have to be straightforward and courteous in making clear the relationship has ended. Having healthy friendships requires recognizing that unhealthy ones have to end. Dating can give valuable practice in ending those relationships.

Scripture references:

Song of Solomon 5:16
Proverbs 17:17
Proverbs 18:24

the twenty hour rule

2011-03-15T13:38:00.000-05:00

At the end of last summer, Barbara and I considered the pro’s and con’s of each of us continuing our education. Barb wanted to go back to school. I wanted to become certified as an EMT. Barb would go to school two days a week plus time for homework. I would take classes two nights a week plus time for clinicals. We didn’t know how difficult the next six months would be on us.

We had been following the rule of 20. It takes 20 hours per week of alone time for a couple to maintain the feeling of being in love. For four years, we worked diligently to maintain that time. Much effort goes into maintaining an in-love relationship. It is something I cherish. Being in love with Barbara is pure joy for me.

We both acknowledged that going back to school would end the 20 hour rule. Was that a bad thing? We discussed the fact that many couples love each other deeply in a warm, comfortable way. In fact, we didn’t know of any other couple that claimed to maintain the in-love feeling.

So, we agreed that we would drop the 20 hour rule so we could go back to school. Six months later, we want our 20 hours back.

Not much about my life changed in the last six months. Instead of calling basketball games for Eagle 97, I went to class. My play time with friends stayed the same. Pastoring was the same. The time with the kids about the same. The only difference was the time we missed during my lunch hour, and the hours between coming home from work and the evening activity. Essentially, the twenty hours.

But, in those six months we found ourselves growing apart. Barb was angry that I spent more time with friends than with her. I complained that she sacrificed my love to go to school. We got angry and spent what time we had arguing about why we didn’t have more time. The tension was something others noticed, too.
A lot can change in six months.

Today, I finished the EMT course. Barb drove down and back. Precious alone time. Time that allowed me to remember why I love her. She isn’t at all like me. She doesn’t understand me. That’s part of why I am head-over-heels in love with her. She completes me. She compliments me. She allows me to be me without really understanding what that means. Frankly, I don’t get her, either. But it is fun to explore who she is.

She likes to cuddle. I like to run. She likes soft rock. I like to rock. She enjoys the hot-tub. I enjoy the frozen lake. She wants to gaze into the heavens. I want to jump from them.

We don’t have to be like each other. The differences give us something to share and to talk about.

So, she decided to go to school online. I’m not going to take another course for awhile. Some couples may enjoy being comfortably warm and loving. 20 hours is a big investment in time. But, love is an expensive drug, and I’m addicted to Barbara.

Japan

2011-03-14T10:48:00.000-05:00

There are times when something so awesome and so awful happens that the event doesn’t make an impact on my emotions until some afterward. The Japan earthquake and Tsunami is one of those events.

I watched the coverage for almost an entire day on my day off last week. Half a world away, I watched curiously as little new was reported and what was reported was repeated hour after hour. I knew that I should pray, or something.

Today, as I read about the impact, it starts to sink in. Millions of people are displaced. Thousands are dead. Nuclear reactors are exploding. Disease will soon set in throughout the populace. The economy will suffer. Psychological issues will emerge. For the Japanese people, this will be as hard as the aftermath of two nuclear bombs at the end of World War II.

I don’t know what to pray. The words aren’t there. I can only pray in the Spirit.
God loves people. God is good. My faith rests on those truths.

Dear Jesus, save the people who have been hurt. May you be known throughout Japan as a loving, merciful, and saving God.

Wrestling

2011-03-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

My son, Matthew, explained why he chose to wrestle instead of play basketball by quoting something he read on a t-shirt.

“If I wanted to play an easy sport, I would have joined basketball.”

Three ninety-second rounds are enough to cause a dad to suffer a heart attack. I scream encouragement to my son even though I have no idea what to say. I don’t know anything about wrestling. But, I’m his dad and I have to say something!

The intensity of those four-and-a-half minutes are brutal. Matthew uses all of his strength in giant bursts as he attempts to subdue his opponent. Sometimes he prevails. Sometimes he doesn’t. But, it seems like he has run a marathon in that brief period of time.

The emotional intensity is brutal on him. Not only does he expend all of his physical strength, but all of his emotional strength as well. A win makes him jubilant. A loss crushes him. It tests his courage in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

Scripture tells us that we wrestle against spiritual powers. I think I understand better what Paul was telling us. Most of life is a day-in and day-out ritual of life. But, there are those crisis times that cause us to use intense spiritual and emotional strength in order to prevail. At times, life is a wrestling match. We are, from time-to-time, tested against an enemy that wishes to pin us on our backs so that we compromise what we know is right and good.

Sometimes we win because we wrestle with God’s strength and power. Sometimes we lose because we don’t. But each time, just like Matthew, we learn and we go on to the next match.

Trusting the Healer

2011-02-03T11:30:00.001-05:00

With the crack of the vertebrae in my back I instantly found myself angry at the chiropractor . The doctor had done nothing wrong. In fact, he skillfully helped me. But, he didn’t tell me that he was going to pound on my back. He didn’t tell me he was going to “crack” something in my neck, either. I wanted him to tell me what he was going to do before he did it. But, he wisely chose not to tell me because he knew from our first meeting that I would stiffen my muscles in anticipation of what he was going to do, and thus make it impossible for him to “fix” my problem. The Bible tells us to “trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not rely upon your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge God and he will get you where you need to go.” I want God to help me, but He does it without telling me how He is going to do it and when. He, like my chiropractor, knows that for me to be healed I have to relinquish control to the healer. Lord,. Thank you for being the healer and for taking control of my healing.

Artists in Living Water

2011-02-03T11:29:00.000-05:00

The gospel of Mark (4:33) says that “With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.” Jesus used artistic expression as a means of communicating the truth of God’s love. The young people at Living Water Assembly of God will participate in the Teen Fine Arts Festival in Grand Rapids on March 26th. The youth will be submitting poetry and short stories as well as art work. There will also be a short sermon entry. In April, the children will participate in a similar festival. I enjoy seeing the young people develop their talents for communication in various artistic mediums. As followers of Christ, we strive to make people feel affectionate toward Jesus Christ. Artistic expression is a way for believers to connect people emotionally to Jesus Christ so that they admire His character and long to be in a relationship with Him. Pray for our young people as they develop their artistic gifts and so become skilled communicators of the good news of God’s love.

Lockdown at NMU

2011-02-03T11:28:00.000-05:00

This morning, Northern Michigan University as well as the local junior and senior high schools were closed because someone had threatened to do something dangerous. The authorities took measures to ensure student safety by locking down the buildings and searching for the person who made the threats. As you can imagine, parents feared for the safety of their children as they waited for word of the resolution of the crisis. Psalm 4:8 says, “ I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. “ Troubled people disrupt others routines and also their peace of mind. However, as followers of Jesus Christ, our peace of mind comes from God. That means when people become fearful, they can count on us to be calm and even joyful in the midst of troubling circumstances. The peace of God allows us to make clear-headed decisions and, In the end, it becomes a way for us to demonstrate the virtue of putting one’s faith in Jesus Christ. Dear Jesus, manifest your peace through your followers during this time of trouble.” Amen.